Edward Elgar | MEMETERIA by Thomas May

November 25, 2024 • 5:36 pm Comments Off on Requiems and Riddles: Seattle Symphony Muses on the Ultimate Questions

Requiems and Riddles: Seattle Symphony Muses on the Ultimate Questions

Kazuki Yamada conducts the Seattle Symphony; image (c) Brandon Patoc

Some thoughts on the Seattle Symphony’s recent program with Kazuki Yamada:

The state of the world this November feels especially conducive to mourning. Before presenting one of the best-loved Requiems in the canon, visiting conductor Kazuki Yamada opened his Seattle Symphony program with a much less frequently encountered work of grieving by his great compatriot Tōru Takemitsu. Requiem for string orchestra signaled the young Japanese composer’s international breakthrough after Stravinsky heard it and pronounced the composition a masterpiece. ..
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Filed under: Edward Elgar, review, Seattle Symphony, Toru Takemitsu

December 6, 2016 • 8:35 am Comments Off on Elgar’s Dream a Transformative Experience at Seattle Symphony

Elgar’s Dream a Transformative Experience at Seattle Symphony

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At this late date, it’s surprising how relatively little-known The Dream of Gerontiusremains among American audiences. Edward Elgar’s masterpiece – even if not the composer’s own favourite among his great oratorio trilogy – contains all the goods to move a concert audience to its core. ..

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Filed under: choral music, Edward Elgar, review, Seattle Symphony